Bouncing passenger vehicle toy

ABSTRACT

Simulated passengers in a toy vehicle are made to bounce as the vehicle rolls along. A chassis supported by wheeled axles with through openings for receiving the passengers which rest on a loose plate beneath the platform. The plate is driven vertically by multi-lobed cams on the vehicle axles as the vehicle rolls along, and this bounces the passengers.

United States Patent [1 1 Doe [54] BOUNCING PASSENGER VEHICLE Primary ExaminerLouis G. Mancene TOY Assistant Examiner-J. Q. Lever Att -C t h S h 75 Inventor: Walter P. Doe, East Aurora,N.Y. S tep [73] Assignee: The Quaker Oats Company 221 Filed: March 1,1971 [571 ABSTRACT Simulated assen ers in a to vehicle are made to N .1 1 24 P g Y [211 0 bounce as the vehicle rolls along. A chassis supported by wheeled axles with through openings for receiving [52] US. Cl ..46/204 the passengers which rest on a loose plate beneath the 51 lm. Cl. ..A63h 5/00 platform The Plate is driven vertically y multi-lobed 58 Field of Search ..46/204, 205 cams on the vehicle axles as the vehicle rolls along,

and this bounces the passengers.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 2,724,925 11/1955 Fisher et al.... ..46/204 3,570,174 3/1971 Lemelson' ..46/205 I2 I9 19 I2 0 7 I l IO i l L i l I6 20 f Z2 I l I L1H i I I I8 1 l 1 I a I I Ii 22 I3 I3 I4 PATENTEDJAN 9 I975 FIG. I

INVENTOR. WALTER P DOE FIG. 2

AT TORNEYS 1 BOUNCING PASSENGER VEHICLE TOY Toy vehicles are legion and many of them include simulated passengers. The invention involves recognition of a simple and expedient way of giving the simulated passengers a bouncy ride as the vehicle rolls to enhance its action and entertainment appeal. The invention aims at simplicity, ruggedness, durability, safety, and an attractive and appealing toy having a variety of actions and visual effects.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The inventive toy vehicle includes a chassis supported by a pair of wheeled axles and including a plat form spaced above the axles. The platform has a plurality of openings extending through the platform, and a plurality of simulated passengers fit loosely into the openings. A loose plate is disposed under the platform so that the bottoms of the passengers rest on the plate. A multi-lobed cam is arranged on each of the axles for rotation with the axles during rolling motion of the vehicle, and the loose plate rests on the cams for moving vertically under the platform in response to rotation of the cams for bouncing the passengers during the rolling motion.

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partially cut-away, elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the inventive toy; and FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the toy of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Toy vehicle as shown in the drawings is a preferred embodiment of a simulated bus. Vehicle 10 includes a chassis 11 extending generally over the underside of vehicle 10 and supporting a superstructure 12 simulating the upper portion of a vehicle including windows, roof, etc. Chassis 11 includes axle support journals 13 having openings to receive axles 14 having fixed wheels 15. Wheels 15 turn axles 14 as vehicle 10 rolls along.

The upper portion of chassis 11 is formed as a platform 16 spaced above axles 14 and having several openings 17 extending through to the underside of chassis 11. Openings 17 are preferably circular and preferably have vertical walls 18 extending downward below the top of platform 16 as illustrated. Simulated passengers 19 have preferably cylindricalv bodies 20 that fit loosely in openings 17 for vertical motion inside walls 18 as shown by the arrows in FIG. 1.

A plate 21 is disposed loosely under platform 16 above axles l4 and is free for vertical motion. Plate 21 substantially covers the region under openings 17 so that the bottoms of bodies 20 of passengers 19 rest on the top surface of plate 21 as illustrated. A three-lobed cam 22 is preferably rotationally fixed to each of the axles l4 beneath plate 21, and plate 21 rests on cams 22 as illustrated.

As vehicle 10 rolls along, axles 14 turn with wheels 15 and rotate cams 22 whose lobes make plate 21 move vertically. The motion of plate 21 is transmitted to passengers 19 which then bounce up and down as the vehicle moves along. Cams 22 can be out of phase as shown in FIG. 1 so that rearward passengers rise as forward passengers fall and vice versa, or cams 22 can be in phase so that all passengers 19 rise and fall at the same and efficient manner that allows simple and economical construction and durable and reliable operation. These features are combined with overall safety and aesthetic appeal to make toy l0 attractive and commercially successful.

Persons wishing to practice the invention should remember that other embodiments and variations can be adapted to particular circumstances. Even though one point of view is necessarily chosen in describing and definingthe invention, this should not inhibit broader or related embodiments going beyond the semantic orientation of this application but falling within the spirit of the invention. For example, those skilled in the toy art will appreciate the various ways the inventive concepts can be applied to various toy vehicles, and will understand different structures that can be used to accomplish the invention.

I claim:

1. A vehicle toy comprising:

a. a molded chassis;

b. a pair of rotationally independent wheeled axles supporting said chassis for rolling motion;

0. said chassis having an integral platform spaced above the axles; g

d. said platform having a plurality of openings ex tending through said platform:

e. vertical sleeves extending downward from said platform around said openings;

f. a plurality of simulated passengers fitting loosely in said sleeves and extending above said platform;

g. a loose plate disposed under said sleeves so the bottoms of said passengers rest on said plate;

h. a multi-lobed cam arranged on each of said axles for rotation therewith during said rolling motion; i. said plate resting on said cams for moving vertically under said platform in response to the combined rotation of each of said cams for bouncing said passengers during said rolling motion as a function of the phaserelationship of said cams; and

j. said platform openings being arranged over said axles and between said axles so that different ones of said passengers bounce in different motions as a function of the phase relationship of said cams.

2. The toy of claim 1 wherein said chassis is molded to include support means forsaid axles.

3. The toy of claim 1 wherein each of said cams has three, generally pointed lobes. 

1. A vehicle toy comprising: a. a molded chassis; b. a pair of rotationally independent wheeled axles supporting said chassis for rolling motion; c. said chassis having an integral platform spaced above the axles; d. said platform having a plurality of openings extending through said platform: e. vertical sleeves extending downward from said platform around said openings; f. a plurality of simulated passengers fitting loosely in said sleeves and extending above said platform; g. a loose plate disposed under said sleeves so the bottoms of said passengers rest on said plate; h. a multi-lobed cam arranged on each of said axles for rotation therewith during said rolling motion; i. said plate resting on said cams for moving vertically under said platform in response to the combined rotation of each of said cams for bouncing said passengers during said rolling motion as a function of the phase relationship of said cams; and j. said platform openings being arranged over said axles and between said axles so that different ones of said passengers bounce in different motions as a function of the phase relationship of said cams.
 2. The toy of claim 1 wherein said chassis is molded to include support means for said axles.
 3. The toy of claim 1 wherein each of said cams has three, generally pointed lobes. 